If you've raced a bike in the past few years, you've probably seen that guy—the guy with the tights—out in the parking lot. He wore the tights in the car on the way to the race—and maybe slept in them last night. As soon as the race is over, he'll pull his bibs off and roll the squeezy fabrics back on. Maybe it's knee-highs instead of tights. Either way, he'll keep that look for hours, from the postrace diner stop right up until he showers as he seeks to recover from the hard efforts of the day. When it comes to compression, he's a true believer. His legs were fresher than anyone else's, and he's recovering faster. Or so he thinks.

For years, doctors have relied on compression stockings to improve circulation in diabetic and bed-bound patients, as well as to treat lymph edema and phlebitis, among other conditions. The idea is fairly simple: Increased pressure on muscles accelerates the flow of blood to the heart by accentuating human physiology. Blood is pumped to the extremities via high-pressure arteries, but it trickles through low-pressure veins located just beneath the skin on its way back. With added pressure, the blood in those latter veins speeds up. Sometime in the 1980s, professional athletes got to thinking: If increased blood flow was good for patients with circulation-related maladies, wouldn't it also benefit them? Soon, racers started regularly slipping out of their newfangled spandex shorts (this was the 1980s) and into women's support hose after races.

Thirty years later, compression garments have become a part of our sport, and are popular among runners, triathletes, and other athletes. Some of the greatest benefits are claimed by pro cyclists who often face demanding travel schedules: "I wear compression gear almost every waking hour, except for when I'm on the bike," says American pro Craig Lewis.

CW-X, Skins, and 2XU, three of the most prominent manufacturers of compression garments, all claim that wearing their tights and socks can improve recovery speed, and, if worn during sports, can boost overall performance. Pros such as Lewis say that they can feel the difference. Ever-increasing numbers of amateur racers—presumably without pro-level travel demands—emulate their heroes by wearing compression garments to the bike shop as well as the race venue. But the question remains: Do athletes get the same benefits from tights as bed-bound patients?

It turns out that what cyclists—even pros—say or believe doesn't necessarily jibe with reality. Science has yet to prove a benefit for cyclists using compression garments for recovery. There is more conclusive evidence regarding compression's benefits during athletic competition, but cyclists seem reluctant to trade their kits for nondescript compression wear. Here we take a look at the facts and fictions surrounding one of cycling's most misunderstood fads.

Dubious Physiological Benefits

There's minimal evidence to demonstrate that compression garments have an impact on recovery for cyclists, despite data showing that they can provide real benefits to runners, says Rob Duffield, PhD, an exercise physiologist at Charles Sturt University in Australia. He has published three compression studies and performed several more for companies that manufacture compression gear. None of his research—or studies performed by others, he says—has convinced him that tight hosiery makes cyclists faster or stronger.